connected scatterplot

R code of the ggplot2 example

library(ggplot2)
library(dplyr)
library(gapminder)

countries <- gapminder |>
  filter(country %in% c("China", "Rwanda", "South Africa")) |>
  arrange(country, year)

ends <- countries |>
  filter(year %in% range(year))

p <- ggplot(countries, aes(x = gdpPercap, y = lifeExp, colour = country)) +
  geom_path(linewidth = 0.6) +
  geom_point(size = 1.4) +
  geom_text(data = filter(ends, year == max(year)), aes(label = country),
            hjust = 0, nudge_x = 0.05, size = 3.2) +
  geom_text(data = filter(ends, year == min(year)), aes(label = year),
            hjust = 1, nudge_x = -0.05, size = 3) +
  scale_x_log10(labels = scales::label_dollar(accuracy = 1, big.mark = "\u2009"),
                expand = expansion(mult = c(0.08, 0.3))) +
  scale_y_continuous(labels = lex_number, breaks = lex_break_breaks, expand = lex_break_expand) +
  labs(title = "China gained 29 years of life expectancy, South Africa\nlost 12 after 1992 although its GDP per capita grew",
       subtitle = "1952 to 2007: one point every five years, joined in time order",
       x = "GDP per capita (log scale)", y = "Life expectancy (years)",
       caption = "Data: Gapminder, via the gapminder R package") +
  theme_lex_viz(break_not_zero = "y") +
  theme(legend.position = "none")